Shipping pallet



1 1951 J. A.'FARRELL 2,576,715

SHIPPING PALLET Filed Jan. 51, 1947 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 7s ILE==E INVENTOR. JAMES A. FARRELL pm/ a @1425? 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 J. A. FARRELL SHIPPING PALLET 6 a mg m 4 O g 8 2 4 Z a f 4 a n A :v 1 Em 2 5 I 1 I l l [IL I l I I I I l l I l ll r l I I l l l I l I II n W w T- A :J 3. W 6 7/ m 1 4 I 6 4 4 5 w L J 1/ o 1o 5 u 8 2 6 4 n 2 A ll 4 6 3 4 6 3 il lllll Ill .lllllll llllllI q 5 B 3 Nov. 27, 1951 Filed Jan. 31, 194? J. A. FARRELL SHIPPING PALLET Nov. 27, 1951 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Jan. 31, 194'? INVENTOR. JAMES- A. FARRELL pan/m 3 fizz/W A TTORNEYS .1. A. FARRELL SHIPPING PALLET Nov. 27, 1951 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Jan. 51, 194'? INVENTOR. JAMES A. FARRELL 1 BY I T U 7 pm 4 61147472 A r TORNEVS "acter *of metal parts.

Patented Nov. 27, 1951 UNITED STATES PAT ENT OFFICE SHIPPING PALLET J amesA. Farrell, Detroit, Mich.

Application Januaryfil, 1947, Serial No. 725,448

6 Claims.

This'invention relates to load supporting pallets used in transporting and'shipping heavy articles and particularly to an improved pallet of this character formed from fiber board material.

Heretofore load supporting shipping pallets have usually been made of wooden parts and constructed with passages between'thetop and bottom surfaces forreceiving the lift forks of manual or power operated stevedore trucks and similar material handling equipment. Some attempt has also beenmade to construct pallets of this char- In either event, the cost of materials heretofore used has been relatively high and'although it would be desirable to expend thepalletafter' shipping of the load'carried thereby, the high cost'of manufacturing even simple wooden pallets has necessitated the consideration of establishing palletpools in'various sections of the country to facilitate the return and reuse of the pallets rather than complete disposal of the same.

An important'object of this invention is to provide"a novel load supporting shipping pallet formed of low cost'materials which is easily and inexpensivelyShapedinto the desired configuration and which because of its low cost may be expended after oneor more uses. Another important object of this invention is to providea novel pallet of "this character formed from fiber material and particularly fiber boardWhich-is so constructed '3' that itwill support extremely heavy loadsand will withstand considerable abuse without affecting'its performance. A further important'object of this inventionis-to provide a shipping pallet of this character of fiber board foldedupon itself and secured together into a strong relatively rigid structuralunit which although light in weight will withstand heavy loads encountered in handling, transporting and shipping.

More particularly, it is an important object of i this invention to provide a shipping pallet formed *from a sheet of fiber board material'folded in a novel manner uponitself to form a hollow interior andprovided with inserts of fiber board material which strengthen the pallet for heavy duty use.

Another important object of the invention is to providea novel method-of shaping a sheet of 'fiber board to accomplish this purpose and at the same time provide means for the ready insertion of lift members of'the conventional 'fork trucks.

Another important object of the invention is to provide a novel method of shaping a singlesheet of fiber board so'that it may be folded upon itself toform-astro'ng carton and which'prior-to its folded-is provided with strengthening insertsialso formed of fiberboard material arranged in the interior of the carton for supporting heavy loads. In carrying out this novel method it is preferred to die cut a single sheet of fiber board material with marginal flap or folding portions so shaped that when they-are folded they form a substantially completely closed carton having passages opening through one or more sides of the carton for accommodating the conventional lift- 7 ing forks and apertures in one or more sides adjacent to the corners thereof for receiving the operating head of a stapling device.

Another important object of the invention is to provide a novelpallet of this character formed offiber board material which is folded and stapled into a box-like structure or carton for shipping use and which if desired may be unstapled and opened out into flat condition after use for returning the pallet Without occupying more space than the normal'thickness of the sheet material employed in the fabrication of the carton.

Another important object of the invention is to provide'novel inserts or bracing cells shaped from sheets of fiber board material which stiffen and'strengthen the carton for sustaining heavy loads'and againt damage'in'the event of careless use.

Various other'o'bjects, advantages and meritorious features will become more fully -apparent fi'om'the'following specification, appended claims and accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of ashipping pallet constructed of fiberboard material in accordance with this invention,

Fig. 2 is a plan view ofthe single sheet of fiber board prior'toits folded state'showing'the manner of'shaping the various portions thereof for folding and securement,

"Fig. 3 is a perspective view illustrating the method of folding the'sheet of fiberboard into a carton and the manner of disposing the fiber board strengthening'inserts therein,

Fig. 4 is'a vertical sectional view through the pallet along line 4-4 of Fig. 1,

5 is a detailed sectional view along line 5-4": of Fig. l,

6 is an enlarged end elevation of one of the bracing cellsemployed as an insert in the pallet,

7 is a vertical cross sectional View through the pallet illustrating "the'mcdiiication thereof for widening the pallet,

8 is 'a detailed sectional view illustrating the modification of the arrangement shown in .inafter.

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of a modification of the invention illustrating a combination shipping pallet and container, and

Fig. 10 is a side elevation of the forward end of a stevedore truck showing manner of lifting and transporting the pallet of this invention.

The pallet in general is illustrated in Fig. 1 and comprises top supporting surface or deck ill, a bottom floor or ground. engaging surface 12 paralleling the top surface or deck and four relatively narrow vertical side wall surfaces extending between the top and bottom surfaces. Two side walls are indicated on opposite sides of the pallet at I l-l4. The remaining two sides of the pallet are indicated at lB-IG. These last two vertical sides may be provided with two apertures between the ends thereof as indicated at lfi-lB which are of a size to receive the conventional lift forks IQ of stevedore trucks and the like, such as that illustrated in Fig. 10, employed in the handling and shipping of heavy material. The pallet is low in height and relatively wide and has the general dimensional characteristics of shipping pallets.

The pallet of Fig. 1 is constructed entirely of fiber board material, preferably corrugated, and

since it is provided with a hollow interior it may be referred to as a carton or box-like enclosure. At spaced locations in the interior of the carton strengthening inserts are provided. These are preferably of fiber board material and are spaced apart in the interior of the carton so as to provide passages for the reception of the lift forks. In general, at least three such inserts are provided as shown in dotted outline in Fig. 1. Two of these inserts are located at Zil-ZB adjacent to the side walls l4-l. The middle insert 22is disposed intermediate the side walls l4-I4 in position between the two apertures [8-58. The inserts preferably extend the full length of the pallet from the side walls 16-16 as shown in Fig. 1 and the spaced relation of the middle insert 22 from the outer inserts 20-20 forms two elongated passages in the interior of the carton which align with the openings l8-l8 and are of a size to receive and accommodate the conventional lift forks.

Preferably the outside portions of the pallet are formed from a single sheet of fiber board such as that illustrated in Fig. 2. The single sheet is provided with marginal or end sections which are foldable upon themselves to form the top, bottom and side Walls of the box-like structure or carton in Fig. 1. The central expanse of the sheet indicated at 24 in Fig. 2 normally forms the bottom surface I2 or" the pallet. The sheet is preferably subjected to a die cutting operation which simultaneously forms the foldable marginal flap portions and the apertures 3-18 and other apertures which will be described in more detail here- In forming the foldable marginal portions, the sheet is scored to provide lines of weakness which enables the flap portions-to be folded upon themselves as is well understood in the art relating to the fabrication of fiber board cartons. The dotted lines in Fig. 2 represent such lines of weakness.

Referring to Fig. 2 the top surface or deck of the pallet is formed by two relatively large foldable sections 26-28 which when folded and brought around into substantial abutting-relationship form the top surface lil of the pallet. These sections may slightly overlap as shown in Fig. 5, completely overlap to form a top wall 16 of double thickness throughout, or substantially 4 abut one another as shown in Fig. 8. The two vertical side walls lB-l 6 of the finished pallet are represented in the sheet at 28-28. These two sections are relatively narrow and are disposed intermediate the central section 24 and the two outer sections 26-26. The lines of weakness about which the sections 26-26 and 23-28 are folded mark the inner and outer boundaries of the sections 28-28. The inner scored boundary line of each section 28 is indicated at 30; the outer line at 32. During the die cutting operation, it is preferred to simultaneously cut out a pair of apertures 34-34 in each section 28 of the sheet. These apertures are of a size and spaced apart a distance to receive the conventional pair of lift forks employed on stevedore trucks and when the sheet is folded form the apertures IB-IB previously described. During the die cutting operation it is preferred to simultaneously form two smaller apertures 36-36 in each section 28 adjacent to the outer ends thereof which, as will be described more particularly hereinafter, are of a size to receive the operating head of a stapling device. I

The sheet of Fig. 2 is also scored with lines of weakness extending perpendicularly to the scored lines 30 and 32. Each section 24, 26-26 and 28-28 of the sheet is provided with two such scored lines, each line of each section being adjacent to and paralleling the side edges of the section. The central section 24 is provided with, two such lines of weakness indicated at 38-38 and forming two corresponding side flap portions 42-49. Each narrow section 28-28 is provided with two such lines of weakness indicated at 32-42 which are offset inwardly from the scored lines 38-38 previously described. Each end section 2fi-26 is provided with two such lines of weakness indicated at 44-44 which are offset inwardly from the scored lines 33-38 of the central expanse 24 but not to the extent that the scored lines 42 of the narrow sections 28. In other words, as is evident in Fig. 2 the projections of the scored lines 44-44 will carry them between the two sets of scored lines 38-38 and 42-42. This will enable the separate flap sections of the sheet to be folded upon one another without diificulty in the manner illustrated in Fig. 3.

The central section 24 of the sheet illustrated in Fig. 2 may also be provided with one or more sets of apertures 46-46 which are of a size and so located with respect to one another that the forward pair of wheels of the stevedore trucks used to shift and raise the pallet may project downwardly therethrough into engagement with the ground or fioorf For those types of trucks where such wheels are not employed these openings 0r apertures may be omitted from the sheet.

Fig. 3 illustrates the manner of folding the sheet into a pallet. Prior to the foldingoperation there is preferably disposed upon the central section 24 a filler or insert'of fiber board material which in the completed folded state of the pallet assists in strengthening the pallet for supporting heavy loads. The preferred form of such insert or filler is illustrated in Fig. 3 and comprises, in general, three spacedapart tubular structures or cell formed of fiber board material and connected together by a sheet section of fiber board indicated at 48. .Two of these cells are disposed adjacent to the sides of the sheet section 24 just within the, scored lines 38-33 thereof. These two cells are similarly formed and are indicated by the reference numeral 50- 5. Located substantiallyin the 'middlezof the "section .24 iscva third .istrengthen- .zin'g zcell indicated by the reference :numera I-ISZ.

-:This :cell is preferably stapled or otherwise secured to the sheet :section 48 to 'maintain it against movement with-in theipallet.

In the pallet construct-ion the three strengthening cells -5lI-50 and 52 correspond in position and functionto the inserts ilk-20 and- 22 "previously described in connection with 1. .Their spaced relationship to one another/provides two elongatedpassages on :either'i'side o'f' .the central cell 52 which are of fa size to accommodate the conventional lift forks. The open ends of these passages are indicated at =54--54in Eig. 3 and it .is-evident that they-align with- -:the openings 34-44 formed .in 'the "side .wall sections '28 when the latteris folded into .position. Lift forks are therefore capable of entering the openings (i l-and entering the passa'ges between'the cells sa-lsn and-52. as in the case of the inserts of 'Fig. 1 theac'ells preferably extend thefull length of the sheetu and sheet section '48 likewise extends-the'f-ull length erably the outer cells ill-59 'and themiddle cell I 52 are'simil-arly formed, -the only difference being the fact that theiouter cells are integrally connected together by sheet section ltl whereas the central cell :52 is separately formed and secured to the sheet section.

Fig. 6 illustrates the preferred method offorming I the strengthening cell structures --5 -50 *:and 52. Thi figure represents the end elevationwof the cell 52,.it beingunderstood that the outer cells J5ll are similarly-formed. "Each cell-is preferably formed I by initially forming the diagonal section 60 thereof-and then-foldingthe balance thereof into a square'or rectangular'fon mation around the diagonal section '66. Following the formingof the diagonal section 59 the side sections are folded into position. The side section immediately adjacent to the diagonal section isindicated at filin I -ig. 6 and at right angles thereto the next succeeding section is indicated at "64. This last section is joined by a-section '56 which extends at right angles thereto and in opposed relationship to the "section 62. In the formation .ofthe' cell-a fourth side is completed by theforrning of the section indicated at 68 which extends atright anglcs'to the sections '62 and and in opposed relationship to the section M. The .cell structure, once the square or rectangularformation is completed, maybe left inthat formation but preferably it'is desired to further fold the sections around those previously formed in order to provide a double thickness on atlleast-two sides of the cell. Fig. '6 show additional sections' "I0, 12 and 14 which are folded intoiacial contactwit'h the's ections 82, 64 and 6B respectively. .Asa result the cell lsprovided on three sides -v'vithfa double thickness of fiber board material. "For .a1dditional "strength, .more sections may be'folde'd'. around the cell toincrease =-i ts thin ess. "when once-folded iintolnnaLforma- Yamaga a *tio'n, therside sections thereof imay The i-stapi'ed together orfotherwisexsecured such as by the staple indicatedeat I5.

' Thecell isdivided by the diagonal s'ectiontll into" two triangular areas on opposite' sidesthereof. In these triangular areas-itiis I desired to i-fit tr-iangular shaped inserts also formed =of=nber I iboard material. In the -cell illustrate'd 'in Fig. '6 #:twos'uch inserts correspond to one another in formationiandere referred to l-byithe same Treference numerals. :2'l1sheetsection'of fiber board is folded to form *two corresponding side sections "Hi--16of-each insert which extend at right angles to one'enother, the connecting: fold for these sections forming the apex T8 of the triangle. Each insert isfurther provided with 1 two correspondingly inwardlyzprojecting sections til-" 80 whichabutoneanother' tozform the-case "of the=triangle Along their line of "abutment the sections I 80- 80 are folded inwardiy to "prodc two corresponding nap portions 82- 82 which-enter the interior of the triangularinsert an-d extend toward and abuttheYinner-faces oi I .;the side sections 16-1 6 immediately adjacent to as the apex-T8 cf'the' triangle. Since'all-three'sides roof the inserts are closely fbo'und'ed by in facial contact with the sections forming trie -out- I side portions of the cell, the "abutting "edges cf "the sections "til-"80 with one "anotherf-and the abutting edges of the flap;portions 82-82 with tlie side-sections IS-l6 I are pressed relatively I firmlytogether-to form a strengthening insert characterized by the fact that Iforcesfo-r' strains imposed "on any part thereof are distributed throughout the triangular structure :of the ins'er't. Two such triangular inserts mounted "on-Poppe- J site sides of the diagonal section 69 "of tne ell substantially increase the resistance of the cel'l against Iforces' tendin-g'to collapsdtheasame. The 0' triangular inserts as indicated in Fig. 6 are -So constructed that theyslidably fitthe "triangular area-seen.eitherside of the'diagonal section H. Iihese inserts may-extend "the run length of the cell or extend..fo1- slicrtidistances inwardl'y frcrn opposite ends of the-Joell depending upcnthe weight of the loads for which-the palle't'is in tended.

As previously mentioned, Figure-6 illustra 'tes an elevation :of the middle strengthening cell 52', and that the outer'c'ells --50 arepreferably-oi similar formation "except that they are joined by th-e sheet section which'isa'n integral part of theout'ercells. Forthe outer cellsftheislieet section 48 isindicated in dotted-outlineinFigJS asintegrally joined to and forming'anx'extension of the outside folded section T4 of the 'cllillustrated in this figure. Itis understood 'that the sheet section '48 i's-similarly joinedto'theother cell -50 .toIform'a unitary ."structur'e of"'a 'sizeit'o 30 fit the interior "of the carton-when thefoldable 1 sections thereof-"are formed.

" Throughout the 'drawin'gs, the 'shipping pallet is shown-as composed entirely of sheet sections of corrug atedfiberboardmaterial. This isthe (i5 preferred-material, butritis understood that' the pallet may be formed-of other types of fiber board such as solid-fiberboard. 'I n the 'latter event, it may be desirable to impregnate 'th'e soiid fiber board with asphal-tum o'r a 'resinousror plasticsubstance. The various types of fiber f board m ater lal that may be used are vory-121cm i2ensiveas*compared withwoodand metal struc tures heretoforeused and by Queen moresimpie die -cutting aoperations the -fiber: board blank'sxscan :bc .quicklyand .lcheaplyshaped tothe Idcsiredirsize 7 and for folding into the completedarticle. Metal staples or other securing .means may.'be"'used to hold the folded sections into the final shape of -.the pallet. The die cut apertures 36' are" so located with respect to folded sections of the pallet that the simple act'of inserting and. operating a stapling-head thereinto will secureseveral overlapping portions of the pallet into the final shape shown in Fig. 1. Two such staples are shown at 84 adjacent the opposite ends of the side wall I4 visible in Fig. 1'. A similar set of staples is used on the other side wall. If the pallets are'not disposed of after use, they may be unstapled and opened out fiat in order to return them atlow cost for reuse.

Where corrugatedifiber boardis' used, itis preferred to cut the blanks shown in Fig. 2 in Zing two corrugated elements interleaved with three fiat sheets extending over the top and bottom side of the elements and between the two elements. For lighter loads, fiber board material containing a single corrugated element may be used. For the filler illustrated in Fig. 3 comprising the sheet section 48 and the supporting cells 50-50 and 52 it is also desired to have the corrugations run in the same direction as the main sheet shown in Fig. 2. This characteristic is illustrated in the enlarged end view of the cell 50 depicted in Fig. 6. However, for the triangular inserts 'mountedin the cells on opposite sides of the diagonal section 60 it is'preferred to run the corrugations .in a direction opposite or perpendicular to the corrugations in the sheet section Q8 and the' cell walls. This is also shown in Fig. 6.

-' Fig. 4' is a vertical section through the finished pallet and illustrates in full lines the position of the strengthening cells therein.' The full lines indicate the location of the outer cells 50-50 along the opposite sides of the pallet and the innor cell 52 in the middle between the two fork receiving openings 34-34. For pallets of wider extent, additional cells may be employed, such as two cells 86-86 shown'in dotted outline against each of the side cells 50-50 In place of one central cell 52, two such cells may be disposed side by side as shown in dotted'outline. Fig. '7 represents an arrangement whereby the squareshaped' cells 50-50 are replaced by cells of wider extent having a rectangular cross section. Two such cells are illustrated in Fig. 7 at 8888..'

- Shipping pallets constructed in accordance with this invention are capable of supporting loads from 4,000 pounds to 10,000 pounds or more. They may be made in various sizes, such as 48" x 48", 48" x 40", 48" x 36 and 36" X 36". The weight of the fiber board pallet of this invention compares very favorably with other types heretofore used. The conventional Wooden pallets weigh approximately 60 to 70 pounds. Metal pallets here'- tofore used weigh approximately75 to 100 pounds. In contradistinction pallets of the present inventor of the largest size mentioned above weigh approximately 14 pounds. I

In Fig. 9 there is illustrated-a modificationof the invention wherein aiiallet of fiber board material is associated with a" container likewise. of fiber board material to form a combined shipping pallet and container forming a single" disposable unit. The pallet proper isfin'dic'ated ease and dimension preferably just slightly less than that of the pallet so that when centrallymounted thereon a ledge or shelf I00 of approximately /2 inch extends completely around the pallet.

"The base of the tray is preferably adh'esively'secured to the top of the pallet but may be stapled or otherwise fastened thereto.

Removably supported upon the base of the tray and within the side walls 98 thereof is a rectangularly shaped sleeve of fiber board material consisting of four abutting side Walls I02. The sleeve is preformed to slidably fit the walls of the tray and be supported in upright position asshown in Fig. 9. It maybe die cut from a single elongated sheet of fiber board and folded on lines of weakness into four equal sizedjside wall sections. When dropped into position in the tray the side Walls form an opened 'topcontainer into which various types of articles for shipment may b packed. The sleeve may be made in an assortment of height sizes of from 12 to 36 inches high and the shipper may have several sizes on hand, one of which will be selected for the particular contents to be shipped. When loaded, the sleeve may be closed by a cover member I04 of fiber board material having the general formation of the tray but inverted and fitted upon the upper edges of the sleeve proper.

The ledge I00 previously described forms a supporting shelf upon which may be-sup'ported a removable frame of rigid material which 'holds the sidewalls of the sleeve against deformation while articles to be shipped are packed therein. Such a frame is illustrated in Fig. 9 and consists of four sections Iflfithree of which are -hinged together as indicated at 108 so that it may be foldedaround the box. "The fourth unhinged corner is left open when in non-use and is closed and secured in folded position around the box container by any suitable fastening means such as the hasps III) on'an unhinged edge of one section which are shaped to interlock with projections 112 on the unhinged edge of the opposite end section of the frame. The bottom edges of'all four sections I06 of the frame rest on the ledgelllfi when folded around the container and fastened into position. The frame will of course bemade of a size to rest on the ledge and facially engage the side walls I02 of the container. After the container. on the pallet has been packed with the articles to be shipped, the cover member I04 is positioned thereon and metal straps 'I I4 or other suitable means are then wrapped entirely around both the container portion and the pallet before the supporting frame is removed. The metal straps are inserted between the frame and the container portion of the unit. To facilitate this operation, vertical grooves H6 may be provided in the inside faces of the frame sections I06. After the straps have been tightly secured around the combined .container and pallet in the manner shown in Fig. 10, the frame may be removed. A stevedore truck may lift and carry the wrapped,unitbyiinserting its lift'forks through the apertures 9-2-92. I Due to its cheapness of construction, part orall of the may be discarded g WhQIl lthef. shipmen t umt reaches its destination.

What I claim is:

1. A load supporting shipping pallet composed entirely of fiber board comprising, in combination, a carton formed of fiber board sheet material folded and stapled into a substantially closed hollow structure of rectangular formation having relatively wide parallel spaced apart top and bottom sections and relatively narrow vertical side wall sections on all four sides thereof, a strengthening insert for the interior of the carton formed from a single sheet of fiber board and having the opposite end portions thereof folded upon themselves and stapled to form a pair of spaced apart bracing cells connected by the middle portion of the sheet, said insert being disposed in the interior of the carton and being of such a size that the bracing cells extend substantially the length of the carton adjacent to the opposite side wall sections of the carton and assist in supportingly spacing the top and bottom sections from one another, a third bracing cell formed of a sheet of fiber board folded and stapled upon itself and being disposed in the interior of the carton between and in spaced relation to said pair of bracing cells, said third bracing cell assisting in supportingly spacing the top and bottom sections of the carton from one another and cooperating with said pair of bracing cells to form two elongated passages in the interior of the carton of a size to accommodate two lift forks, and at least one end wall section of the carton provided with two spaced apart apertures aligning with said passages and being of a size to receive the lift forks.

2. The invention described in claim 1 characterized by the provision of apertures in certain of the side wall sections immediatelv adjacent to the vertical corner edges thereof of a size to admit a head of a sta ling device for stapling overlapping portions of the carton together.

3. In a load supporting ship ing pallet formed of fiber board sheet material folded and secured into a substantially closed hollow box-like structure of rectan ular formation having relatively wide arallel top and bottom sections and relative y narrow vertical side wall sections connected to the top and bottom sections, a strengthening member in the hollow interior of said pallet formed from a singlev sheet of fiber board having successive portions thereof bent at right angles to one another to form a hollow open ended cell of rectangular cross section, said cell having a vertical height such that the top and bottom portions thereof res ectively engage the top and bottom sections of the pallet, and a pair of similarly shaped bracing inserts in the hollow interior of the cell each formed from a single sheet of fiber board having successive portions thereof bent relative to one another to form a hollow insert of triangular cross section, said pair of inserts being arranged in the cell in complementary opposed relation on opposite sides of a plane diagonally dividing the cell and substantially occupying the entire cross sectional area of the cell to assist the cell in carrying loads imposed thereon.

4. In a load supporting shipping pallet formed of fiber board sheet material folded and secured into a substantially closed hollow box-like structure of rectangular formation having relatively wide parallel top and bottom sections and relatively narrow vertical side wall sections connected to the top and bottom sections, a strengthening insert in the hollow interior of said pallet formed from a single sheet of fiber board having successive portions thereof bent at right angles to one another to form a hollow open ended cell of rectangular cross section, said cell having a vertical height such that the top and bottom portions thereof respectively engage the top and bottom sections of the pallet, and a pair of strengthening inserts in said cell each formed from a sheet of fiber board bent into a triangular cross-sectional formation, said triangularly shaped inserts disposed within the cell with their respective hypotenusal faces in juxtaposition to one another and extending diagonally from one corner of the cell to the opposite corner thereof, the size of said triangular inserts being so related to the crosssectional dimension of the cell that they are slidably received therein and have their shorter sides engaging the inner surfaces of the bent portions of the cell.

5. A strengthening load supporting cell formed of a single sheet of fiber board material having successive portions thereof bent at right angles to one another to form a hollow open ended cell of rectangular cross section, a pair of strengthening inserts in said cell each formed from a sheet of fiber board material bent into a triangular formation, said triangularly shaped inserts being disposed within the cell with their respective hypotenusal faces extending parallel to one another in slight spaced apart relationship and diagonally of the cell from one corner thereof to the opposite corner thereof, and the inner end portion of the sheet forming the said cell being bent so as to extend diagonally across the cell between the hypotenusal faces of said triangular inserts and dividing the cell into two triangularly shaped areas, the cross sectional dimension of each triangular insert being such that it slidably fits the triangular area of the cell within which it is received.

6. The invention described in claim 5 characterized by the use of corrugated fiber board for forming said cell and for forming said triangular inserts, the corrugations of said cell extending perpendicularly to the corrugations of the triangular inserts.

JAMES A. FARRELL.

REFERENCES CITED The followlng references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,022,722 Clinger Apr. 9, 1912 1,603,547 La Bombard et a1. Oct. 19, 1926 1,832,759 Bennett Nov. 17, 1931 2,134,051 Kirby Oct. 25, 1938 2,317,884 Clouston Apr. 27, 1943 2,388,730 Fallert Nov. 13, 1945 2,420,640 Acteson May 20, 1947 2,444,183 Cahners June 29, 1948 2,446,914 Fallert et a1 Aug. 10, 1948 

